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The police in Calabar are on the trail of Jude Okwe, Cross River
State correspondent of National Life, over some stories published by the paper
last Sunday.

Mr Okwe said the spokesperson of the state command, Etim Dickson
(ASP), had informed him over the phone Tuesday afternoon that the story
alleging that some policemen invaded Moon Shine Hotel, a popular brothel in
Calabar South, to extort money from prostitutes and rape those who could not
pay the N1000 levy, has tarnished the reputation of officers and men of the
command.

Another story about a man who walked naked along Bedwell Street
and got N20, 000 for it was described by Mr Dickson to be one that was against
the tourism drive of the state government, and came at a time the state was
making preparations for its army of visitors for the annual Christmas festival.

“The police image maker invited me under the pretext that there
was a deal he wanted to strike with me,” Mr Okwe said. “But I told him I will
honour the invitation once I am through with my editorial duties.” Since the
invitation was not honoured, Mr Dickson on Wednesday, September 22, wrote to
the state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) inviting Mr Okwe
to his office on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

The letter, reference No. AR/3000/CRSP/VOL.3/19 and titled
‘investigation activities’, reads: The attention of the Commissioner of Police,
Cross River State Command, has been drawn to a false and malicious publication
in National Life newspaper, Sunday 19, 2010, on pages 41 and 42 respectively,
where the pictures of His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State and
that of the police commissioner were used without confirmation and
authorisation.

“The correspondence [sic] is therefore invited to interview the
commissioner of police through the police PRO, on Tuesday, 28/09/10 at 1000hrs,
please.”

Target of smear

Mr Okwe said he has been a target of a smear campaign by some
persons within and outside the government, who see him as a non-conformist and
someone to be dealt with.

He said despite the campaign of calumny and threat to his life
by the powers that be, he will continue to practice journalism within the
confines of its ethics, irrespective of whose ox is gored.

“I will advise the police to visit the brothel, interview its owner and the
prostitutes, rather than invite me for arrest under the pretext of interviewing
the police commissioner,” he said. “They should also visit Bedwell Street to
ascertain the truth or otherwise of the man who walked nude and picked N20,000
for it.”